Bekisar

The Bekisar, also known as the Ayam Bekisar, is the first generation of hybrid chicken developed from the cross of the green junglefowl and the domestic red junglefowl. Although the exact origin of this breed is unknown, Javanese and Sudanese people assert that it was first developed on the Kangean Islands in Java. The earliest members of this breed were used for communication, because each rooster’s call was unique and due to its ancestry, very loud. Roosters were placed in baskets on the masts of canoes, where they would constantly crow in battles that could be heard as far as two miles away.

When Javanese natives began migrating to other areas, they took with them many creatures, including semi-domestic chickens. The Bekisars would have adapted well to both wild and semi-feral lifestyles, although significant backcrossing is required for feral populations to persist. This is due to the tendency of hybrid females to be sterile. Because this breed was crossed with so many domestic breeds, as well as other wild breeds, and it has been isolated in various areas, it often has no uniform appearance. From these highly isolated breeds, unique breeds have been developed including one found on Easter Island and the Araucana.

Bekisar hens and their derivative breeds lay green, gray, blue, and lilac tinted eggs, a feature that has been passed from the green jungle fowl. These chickens are natural prey for many species including pythons, monitor lizards, and seabirds. Humans in Bali, East Java, and many surrounding islands use roosters in vocal contests, but this is causing a decline in wild green junglefowl populations.